Rollerskates, skateboards and kickboards: everything for skating! Brussels ON wheels

ROLLERSKATES, SKATEBOARDS AND KICKBOARDS: EVERYTHING FOR SKATING! BRUSSELS ON WHEELS Just as Sheila was in her day the most beautiful to go dancing, it's your turn to put on your shirts of light and put on your best wheels to shine at the famous Belgium Rollers which passes through Brussels every Friday evening in summer. FREESTYLE ★★★★ A particularly well-stocked Woluwe shop, Freestyle is the natural habitat for most Brussels rollerbladers. "Inline" skaters (speed enthusiasts), "aggressive" (complex tricks) and "fitness" skaters also find their respective happiness, including boards from Salomon, Fila, Razor, USD or Roces. As the owners are themselves convinced practitioners, "newbies" can ask them for advice without fear of a bad steer. Also important: you can rent boards and rollers. And you can find street clothes, of course. Freestyle, avenue Georges Henri 508, 1200 Brussels, 02/732.33.80, www.chez.com/freestyleweb RIDE ALL DAY ★★★★ As its name suggests, Ride All Day is a shop run by "ultimate" skate fans of their kind, as they say in the scene. The boss, Yves Tchao, is a board pro since long before opening his shop, he was ranked 3rd in the grand slam of world skateboard competitions. Here, you won't find rollers but a wide variety of boards and accessories. Good to know: prices are designed to remain as affordable as possible and equipment is chosen for its quality and functionality, so without much regard for the latest trends. It's a shop so popular on the skate scene that on the small square opposite, you see quite a few young people practicing. On the other hand, you'll find few clothes (nothing for girls) but as far as gear goes, it's definitely an exceptional address. Ride All Day, rue Saint-Jean 37-39, 1000 Brussels, 02/512.89.22. SIX SHOP ★★★ It's also a "skateshop" but the philosophy is less radical. Six Shop doesn't shine as much in the scene as Ride All Day and the owners are not practitioners; a detail that can mean a lot to true amateurs. Nevertheless, the shop is still worth the trip. The welcome is very professional and Yves Tchao, who worked there for a time, seems to have well-drilled the staff in what was otherwise meager knowledge of skating practice. Furthermore, you can find clothes and shoes "strictly for men" in abundance here. Six Shop, rue du Marché aux Poulets 44, 1000 Brussels, 02/223.33.63. TWIN ★★★★ The sign defines itself as "the ultimate fun shop" and in our opinion, that's... still too modest! Indeed, everything they sell is hard to quantify: skateboards, surfboards, snowboards, dirtboards, snakeboards, kickboards, longboards, bodyboards, rollerblades… with or without a motor! Twin also offers all sorts of specialized clothing and protection for each discipline. Either very flashy shirts and bermudas, T-shirts, beachwear and sneakers for both men and women. At the back of the store, there is also a small ramp where you can practice. Twin, chaussée d’Alsemberg 414b, 1180 Brussels, 02/346.97.98. QUÉ MAS? ★★★★ Here is a very nice place to perfect your look before going to show off at the Belgium Rollers. Colorful bermudas, T-shirts and tops in abundance but also "more dressed up" outfits. This street and style store, located not far from Matongué, mixes several urban trends and cultures. For ladies as for men, the best represented brands are Geda, Epure, Ben Sherman and G-Star, not forgetting the latest of the Antwerp labels: Lacie. Adidas, Puma, Clarks and Asics shoes are also in stock, as well as very original bags from Freitag. In short, Que Mas? guarantees true shopping pleasure while also paying close attention to the music and the interior. Que Mas?, rue Ernest Solvay 19, 1050 Brussels, 02/503.17.78. PAX ★★★★ Located just a step (on skates) from Que Mas?, the Pax shop blends interior design and streetwear. The assortment doesn't really wink at the hip-hop youth but rather tries to charm urban "twenty-and thirthysomethings". Here too, you find skate and surf clothes but under other brands than at Que Mas?: Box Fresh, Pornstar, Lois, Lady Soul and Sessun. All this at rather low prices compared to some competition. But you don't just buy clothes at Pax: everything you see in the store is for sale: tables, armchairs and lamps. It's nice, very well kept and seasoned with a good musical selection of house and drum & bass. Pax, rue de la Paix 8, 1050 Brussels, 02/502.52.31, www.pax.be